


Inner Battles and Outer Fights

by TheLittleMermaidDJ



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Angst, Deception, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28875366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittleMermaidDJ/pseuds/TheLittleMermaidDJ
Summary: Obi-Wan just wants to know if his friend is alright. Anakin most certainly is not. Post 'Deception'.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	Inner Battles and Outer Fights

**Author's Note:**

> Rewatching some Clone Wars and was struck by a sudden plot bunny which I just had to write. It can technically be seen as a prequel to my other story "Fire and the Flood", but also stands alone, although that might make it sadder… Either way, this takes place just after the 'Deception' arc, as while watching the final episode 'Crisis on Naboo', I thought Anakin got off fairly easy. So, some Anakin whump for the sake of it… This is not a happy story. Hopefully it will touch your feels!  
> Title are from the song 'Demons' by Lui Dodds.  
> As always, leave some comments and thoughts on your way out!
> 
> The Little Mermaid out!

"I had to reflect, and I had to repent,  
Now I just wanna forget but I have to remember,  
You might not accept."  
\- 'Demons'

The Chancellor was safe, at last.

Obi-Wan stood on the bridge of the Republic cruiser, watching the blue hue of hyper-space soaring by, as they headed for Coruscant. His hand automatically reached for his bearded chin until he was reminded of the stubble that donned Rako Hardeen's face.

His face.

He longed to return home, where he could once more be Obi-Wan Kenobi and not this bounty hunter shell. He still felt uneasy and alien in this body. He didn't belong here. He wanted nothing more than to become himself again and to settle back into the usual, hectic every day, where deceit would be exchanged for a sense of normalcy. He ached to return to the 212th and to face the war with his lightsaber and battle strategies and diplomacy, casting away intricate lies and duplicity. To be surrounded by allies and friends again – not enemies.

His thoughts wandered to the one friend on board the cruiser – the one he knew must be struggling as much as he was. Obi-Wan recalled how angry Anakin had been when he had discovered the truth. That it had been Obi-Wan's idea to fake his own death and furthermore to keep it a secret. He also remembered how the Jedi Knight has fought Dooku alone, and how he had shrugged away any concern from his former master. The thought suddenly struck him that Anakin actually hadn't answered him at all when Obi-Wan had found him, struggling to rise from the floor.

He hadn't seen much of the young man since then. Everything had gone by in the blur after they had rescued chancellor Palpatine from Dooku. His mind had been wrapped up in the preparations for their departure from Naboo and he hadn't had the time to check up on Anakin. In fact, he hadn't seen him at all since they bid their farewells and entered hyper-space.

Flashes of Anakin fighting Dooku, of Anakin getting lifted off his feet and flung several feet into the air, of Anakin crouched and breathless...

Obi-Wan shook his head of the memories. With a sense of determination, he turned on his heel and exited the bridge. He aimlessly drifted up and down the hallways of the large cruiser, steadily ignoring the off-hand stares from the crew as Rako Hardeen passed them by, while he ran through every possible scenario of where Anakin could be in his mind.

Infirmary? He quickly dismissed that idea. Not in a billion lightyears would he be there willingly.

Private room? Reasonable, but a dark enclosed space hardly seemed most likely at the moment.

Hangar? Well, Anakin did like to work with his hands whenever his mind was preoccupied…

He was still pondering, when he caught sight of Rex walking towards him from the opposite direction.

"Rex," Obi-Wan greeted and waited for the clone captain to reach him before he asked, "Have you seen Anakin?"

Rex contemplated his answer for a moment before he replied, "I saw him last in the hangar bay, Sir. Although, the General didn't seem particularly inclined for companionship."

"I feared as much," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath. "Thank you, Captain."

With a quick nod, Rex continued on, while Obi-Wan changed directions and quickened his pace as he headed for the hangar. It didn't take him long to get there. The doors opened with a swoosh and he lingered in the doorway as his gaze searched for his target. There weren't many people bustling around the big open space, so he found him easily enough.

Anakin was sitting on top of a supply crate stacked in a shadowed corner, his back turned as he fiddled with something undiscernible. Obi-Wan took a deep breath, steadying his emotions, before walking over. As he came closer, he spotted the various, delicate tools scattered all over the surface of the crate along with Anakin's dark glove. With a startle, he noticed the thin, loose wires dangling out of the artificial, mechanical hand while Anakin's fingers deftly moved inside the complex machinery.

Anakin looked up as Obi-Wan approached. Something dark flickered over his eyes as he glanced up at his master. A barely noticeable twitch jerked his body, as if it responded in instinctual apprehension. Obi-Wan swallowed down the stinging, hurtful feeling that Anakin reacted out of fear at seeing him and told himself it was because he was still wearing the face of Rako Hardeen and nothing else.

He aimed for casual as he nodded towards the dismantled cybernetic. "Everything alright?"

Anakin cast his eyes downwards and continued his tinkering, reattaching electronics and wires, as he answered, "Dooku attempted to use me as a table setting and a couple of forks messed with the wiring." His voice was controlled and nonchalant, like he was giving a report to the Council and nothing more.

"Bet the electrocutions and Force lightning didn't help either," Obi-Wan remarked casually, although a twinge of concern echoed in his heart, one he couldn't entirely keep out of his tone.

"It's fine," Anakin quickly dismissed with a shrug.

He propped the last of the wires into their correct places and rapidly flexed his fingers a couple of times to test his work. Seemingly content, he jumped down from the crate and reached for his glove. He didn't get far. The left side of his upper body twisted inwards on itself as his shoulder moved and a pained yelp erupted from his throat. His gloveless right hand shot up to clutch at his left arm. His face tightened into an agonized grimace. His breath came out rapid and strained through his nostrils and his eyes were clenched shut. He began to sway slightly where he stood.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan worriedly said and instantly jumped to his side. He felt the young man unwillingly lean against him and Obi-Wan dug his boots into the floor to keep his own balance.

"I'm fine," Anakin muttered, his voice clipped and pained.

"No, you're not," Obi-Wan countered and hooked his arm around Anakin's waist, while slinging his good shoulder over his own. "We're going to the infirmary."

"It's nothing," Anakin grunted, even as his feet clumsily stumbled alongside Obi-Wan's steady steps.

"Uh-huh," Obi-Wan assented doubtfully as he began leading them out of the hangar and towards the sick bay, cursing his stubborn padawan all the way.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"I told you it was nothing."

Obi-Wan raised an unimpressed eyebrow, as he stood leaned against the infirmary wall and watched Anakin tighten his dark tunic back on. At least, he remained dutifully seated on the bed as he had been told by the medical droid that had examined him.

"Bruised ribs, mild concussion and a severely banged-up shoulder… It sure sounds like nothing to me," Obi-Wan dryly commented.

Anakin propped his feet onto the bed and leaned back into the raised mattress with a quiet groan. He curtly replied, "It doesn't matter. You can go now."

"Doesn't matter? Anakin, if you're unwell, it's okay to admit that. At least to me," Obi-Wan said incredulously. He walked over to the bedside where he stopped to look at his former padawan, his arms crossed, intent on making him understand that injuries was not weakness.

"Why should you care? You don't trust me anyway."

Obi-Wan felt his jaw grow slack at the hostile reply and his hands fall limply to his side. He knew he had hurt his friend, but it seemed he had no idea just how much. "Anakin…"

"No," Anakin said. He swung his legs over the bedside again, all attempts at rest seemingly forgotten. His grey eyes were cold and hard as they bore into Obi-Wan's. "Time and again, you have asked for my trust, and how often haven't I followed through on that? How often haven't I covered your back? The least you could do is have my back in return."

"Now, hold on a minute," Obi-Wan defended, a sense of anger stirring in his chest at the accusations. "I did what I thought was right. For the sake of the mission, and for the sake of the Republic."

"Sounds exactly like something Count Dooku would say," Anakin shot back.

"I lied to protect the plan, the Chancellor, and everyone involved. Most importantly, I did it to protect you," Obi-Wan interjected, his voice firm. He desperately needed Anakin to see that.

"You say you trust me and yet you go behind my back. The Council lying to me is one thing… But you…" Anakin found Obi-Wan's eyes again, his own drowning in hurt and betrayal. "How many times do I have to prove myself to you?"

Obi-Wan redoubled his efforts, his heart clenching painfully at the despairing tone in Anakin's voice. "Anakin, you don't have to prove anything to me… You know that."

The Jedi Knight shook his head and ran a tired hand over his face. When he looked up again, all the raw emotion had been wiped away from his features. All that remained, was a cold, closed-off expression, as if he had locked away all of his suffering. He rose from the bed with a grunt, staggering to his feet, his entire body shaking with fatigue, injury and emotion.

"General, you must lie down and rest," the medical droid from across the room called out, its robotic voice neutral and factual.

Anakin ignored the droid, his intense gaze leveling on Obi-Wan before him, as he said, "I once told you, you're the closest thing I have to a father."

He took a shuddering breath, and then he muttered dejectedly,

"Clearly, that means nothing to you."

Obi-Wan took a step back, feeling the sting of the words as if they had physically struck him. Anakin tore past his stunned master and with faltering, echoing steps exited the infirmary without another word.

Obi-Wan watched him go, too overwhelmed and crestfallen to follow. His heart was aching, every beat tearing agonizingly into his soul while his mind ran in dizzying circles as it desperately attempted to come up with something, _anything _, that could fix this. He came up frustratingly empty and he was left with nothing, but an blank, angry void filled with despair and anguish.__

__The Chancellor was safe, at last._ _

__But he feared that he might have shattered his relationship with Anakin beyond repair._ _


End file.
